The announced
revival of the Spy Hunter franchise in 2001 was met with huge anticipation and
nostalgic memories of smokescreens and the unforgettable Peter Gunn theme. And
though the release of the game was only met with slightly-better-than-average
review scores, most agreed that Spy Hunter was back in a big way. For this
sequel Midway went the route of commissioning one of the most well known driving
game developers on the map; Rockstar San Diego, whose work you may know from
games like Smuggler’s Run and Midnight Club. So how is it then that Spy Hunter
2 is actually a step backward from the original 128-bit game?
Midway and
Rockstar certainly gave a valiant effort to make Spy Hunter 2 a game that does
justice to its namesake; beefing up the already-ultra-cool G-6155 Interceptor
and rechristening it as the G-8155, adding a new female sidekick who comes
equipped with heavy artillery and huge guns, and including cool making-of
goodies and interviews. But the story, which was questionable in the first
game, is no better here and it’s told mainly through boring, long-winded text
messages that appear during pre-mission loading screens. Suffice to say that
the evil, wannabe world dominators, NOSTRA are at it again and only Alec Sects
and his four-wheeled death contraption can put a stop to their sinister plans.
The Spy Hunter
games have never needed much of a cohesive story, because the straightforward
and satisfying gameplay has always taken center stage. That simply is not the
case here. The structure of the game is a melding pot of random sections
spliced into winding roads littered with opponents whose firepower seems to
inflict random damage on your Interceptor. There are a few different types of
levels, however. There are the get-from-one-end-to-the-other variety, which are
based on the original arcade game, escort missions, defend-the-base style
missions, and multi-tiered boss fights. Of these levels, only the classic style
sequences and boss battles are genuinely entertaining. Why the developers
decided to even include escort missions is a mystery.
Luckily, the
driving mechanics are quite competent, as they should be considering Rockstar
San Diego’s gleaming track record for driving games. The G-8155 Interceptor is
really freaking fast and very responsive. As in previous games, your supercar
has the ability to transform into a few different forms. Depending on the
terrain you’re driving on, hitting the triangle button will change the car into
an Off-road 4X4, an Interceptor Boat, and a Snow Ski. If your vehicle sustains
heavy damage then it will automatically shed the majority of its body and
transform into the smaller variations, such as an Escape Cycle or Jet Ski.
And what would a
top-of-the-line, transforming supercar be without weapons? The Interceptor
comes stocked with machine guns and mines, though plenty more weapons are
bestowed upon progressing through the game. Smokescreens can be used to divert
enemies who are on your tail; oil slicks trip up foes from the rear; there are
nine types of missiles and rockets, perfect for laying waste to baddies ahead of
you; and the six variants of machine and rail guns ensure you’ll be able to cut
down scads of ill-equipped rivals in a flash. Of course, the more powerful your
weapons become, the more deadly your enemies become, so you never really feel
like you’re the undisputed king of the road, especially during fierce boss
battles.
Spy Hunter 2 is
short, really short. Each of the game’s 16 missions are no longer than five
minutes apiece. The developers opted to go with an increased difficulty to
leverage the short length of the campaign, and while this strategy may increase
the lifespan of the game it does little to make playing it fun. What’s more, if
you get killed right as you are about to complete a mission, you’ll be forced to
start over, from the beginning. There are no checkpoints, no free-roaming
areas, nothing; just pure unadulterated, on-rails shooting, of which you will
tire of quickly due to having to replay missions over and over again.
Basically, succeeding in Spy Hunter 2 is a matter of memorizing where enemies
spawn, road layout, and the location of weapon/health power-ups.
The multiplayer
modes in Spy Hunter 2 seem pretty interesting on paper; you and a friend can
play through the main campaign, with one player controlling the Interceptor and
main guns, and the other player managing the secondary weapons. This mode does
enhance the experience somewhat, but the second player is usually left twiddling
their thumbs, waiting for the action to come to them instead of the other way
around. There’s also a decent deathmatch multiplayer mode where each player is
in control of their own Interceptor and the goal is simply to blow up the other
person. While by no means original or innovative, the deathmatch style of play
does manage to prove an entertaining diversion.
Visually, Spy
Hunter 2 is a good looking game, though when compared to 2001’s Spy Hunter it
isn’t anything special. The frame rate runs at a fairly consistent 30 frames
per second, and the environments seem a little larger this time around. But the
texture quality is lacking, and none of the locales you visit stand out the way
they did in the first game. Instead it seems the developers went with larger
areas but forgot to infuse memorable scenery. The sound presentation fares a
bit better, featuring some techno remixed versions of the famous Peter Gunn
theme and some tracks from Vanessa Carlton. Sound effects haven’t changed much
from the last Spy Hunter, though they are by all means adequate.
Overall, Spy
Hunter 2 is a by-the-book driving/shooting game that, while including some new
features, can’t muster the same caliber of intensity or action that was found in
the arcade original or indeed the first next-gen Spy Hunter, which, for those
keeping track, is well over two years old. Midway seemed to have the right idea
when they decided to go with Rockstar for development purposes, but the artists
formerly known as Angel Studios completely dropped the ball. If you were a fan
of the last Spy Hunter game, then you may want to rent the sequel, otherwise
steer clear.
Gameplay: 6.7
Controlling the
Interceptor is easy and satisfying, but the questionable damage done to your car
during skirmishes makes completing any given level a complete crap shoot.
Graphics: 7.1
For all intents and purposes, the first Spy Hunter is the better looking game.
Though the larger environments and car transformation animations do look quite
good.
Sound: 7.3
The music is slanted towards techno, but if you like
that kind of thing you’ll be happy with what can be found here.
Difficulty: Hard
Since the levels
are only five minutes each the developers made sure you would have to replay
them multiple times before being able to beat them. Frustrating.
Concept: 7.7
I’m all for a Spy Hunter rebirth, but Midway is going to have to come correct if
they want to make any money off this franchise.
Multiplayer: 7.1
The co-op campaign
is kind of cool for an hour or two, but the deathmatch mode is where most will
go for their multiplayer fix.
Overall: 6.7
Overall, Spy
Hunter 2 just isn’t as polished or fun as it could have been.
